Exhaust-concealer.



7 Patented June 24, [902. G. A. HUNT. EXHAUST CONCEALER.

(Application filed June 3, 1901.)

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

No. 703,067. Patented June 24', I902.

' G. A.. HUNT.

EXHAUST CONCEALER.

Application filed June 3, 1901.)

(No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 UNITED STATES PATENT ()EFICE.

GEORGE A. HUNT, OF EVERETT, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO F. C.ALDEN, OF READING, MASSACHUSETTS.

EXHAUST-CONCEALER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 703,067, dated June 24,1902.

Application filed June 3,1901. Serial No. 62,895. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE A. HUNT, of Everett, in the county ofMiddlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Exhaust-Goncealers, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention has for its object to conceal or render substantiallyinvisible an atmosro pheric steam exhaust; and it consists in theimprovements hereinafter described and claimed.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan View, partlybroken away and in section, of an embodiment of my invention. Fig. 2represents a side elevation with parts broken away. Fig. 3 represents asection on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 represents a horizontal sectionshowing a modifizo cation. Fig. 5 represents a section on the line 5 5of Fig. at. I

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of thefigures.

It is well known that water at ordinary temperatures when exposed to theair will evapo rate or become converted into invisible vapor, thisevaporation being distinguished from ebullition or boiling only indegree and by the fact that evaporation takes place only from thesurface of the water. Among the causes which influence rapidity ofevaporation of water are, first, the temperature of the water; second,the quantity of water-vapor already in the atmosphere; third, the

renewal of this atmosphere; fourth, the extent of the surface ofevaporation. When steam is exhausted into the atmosphere under ordinaryconditions, it condenses into a visible cloud or mist composed ofinnumerable very fine particles of water. Owing to the great surfaceexposed by these particles the cloud very quickly vanishes byevaporation; but its disappearance is more rapid on a warm day than on acold day, because of 5 the fact that the water particles are allowed toretain their heat, and is more rapid in a dry atmosphere than in a dampatmosphere, because of the presence of a less quantity of water-vapor inthe dry atmosphere. Inasso much as the atmosphere is rarely completelysaturated with water-vapor, so as to be incapable of taking up any morevapor, it is possible by insuring the presence in a sufiicient degree ofthe two factorsnamely, heat and rapid renewal of air-supply, togetherwith ample surface of absorption-to prevent a steam-exhaust fromentering to an appreciable extent upon the intermediate stage of a mistcloud and instead to cause it practically to be directly absorbed intothe atmosphere in anginvisible condition. Upon the above principles theoperation of my invention depends. It has a very useful application tosteam-propelled automobile vehicles, from which a visible exhaust on theroad is a disagreeable feature.

In carrying out my invention I employ an air-mixer in which the force ofthe exhaust itself is employed to effect a rapid renewal of theair-supply and to so thoroughly mix the air with the exhaust-steam as toafford the maximum absorbing-surface of air in contact with the steamand to which the air is supplied in a heated condition. Prior to itsreaching the air-mixer the steam itself is heated to dry it or free itfrom water of condensation.

1 represents a boiler having a heater 2 and flues or fire-tubes 3 3 forcarrying the products of combustion from said heater through the boiler,and t represents an engine sup- 8o plied with steam from said boilerthrough a steam-pipe 5.

6 represents a bonnet inclosing a chamber above the top of the boiler,which constitutes a fine and from which opens downwardly a tube 7.

8 is the exhaust-conduit of the engine, in which are included a coil 9,located in the bonnet-chamber over the boiler-fines 3 3 and constitutinga drier for the steam, a mufiler o 10, comprising an enlarged outercasing 11, having a perforated outlet 12, a perforated inlet 15, andcup-shaped baffles 16 16, surrounding said inlet and outlet, and a discharge nozzle or outlet 13, directed downwardly into the tube 7.

14 14 are elevated tubes forming lateral communications between theatmosphere and the bonnet-chamber or flue.

When the engine is exhausting, the exhaust passing through the coil 9 isdried or superheated by the heat communicated to said coil, owing to itsposition in the path of the products of combustion, the steam beingthereby rid of water of condensation and brought into a condition to bemore readily dissipated in an invisible condition byits subsequenttreatment. In the muffler 10 the steam pursues a tortuous path and isbai'fled and retarded with the effect of equalizing or merging thesuccessive discharges or puffs of the engine into a more or lesscontinuous discharge having a maximum propelling power. The emission ofthe exhaust from the nozzle 13 into the tube 'Zinduces a downward draftin said tube of air entering the bonnet chamber or flue at the inlets 1414. Such air is heated by passage over the hot surfaces of the boilerand the bonnet-flue and by mingling with the products of combustion fromthe heater 2. The heated and rapidly-renewed air-supplybecomesintimately mingled with the exhauststeam, checking and preventingthe condensation of the steam into a mist cloud and fa cilitating itsdirect absorption by the air, with the result that the discharge fromthe lower end of the tube 7 is substantially or wholly invisible. I haveascertained that a direct and plentiful supply of heated air, such asthat obtained from a fiue having a direct-air inlet or inlets of thedescribed character, is essential for obtaining the best results from myinvention. The tube '7 constitutes an outlet through which the productsof combustion are disposed of when there is an exhaust from the engineby the induction of said exhaust. At times when there is no exhaust thetubes 14 constitute a natural outlet for the products of combustion.

Figs. 4 and 5 represent a modification in which the exhaust-nozzle 13 isdirected into the flaring entrance of an elongated mixingtube 7 whichextends horizontally across the top of the boiler and has its dischargeend directed downwardly into a mixing-tube 7 similar to the tube 7,hereinbefore described, but mounted on the opposite side of the boiler.The tube 7 takes hot air received through the inlets 14, and the tube 7takes the atmosphere at normal temperature. The mixture of theexhaust-steam with air is thus effected in two stages and more graduallythan by the firstdescribed arrangement and somewhat more quietly whenthe engine is doing heavy duty.

I do not hold myself to the exact construction and arrangement of partsherein set forth, as considerable variation may be made withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim- 1. In an exhaust-concealer, the combination of a boiler havinga space above it for products of combustion said space forming a .ilue,an exhaust-conduit located in said flue,

an exhaust-discharge outlet at one end of the flue, an air-mixerassociated with said outlet, and an air-inlet for supplying air directlyto said flue and disposed relatively to the airmixer to cause the supplyof air on its way to the air-mixer to pass through the entire combustionspace or flue over the boiler,whereby the air and steam are dried andheated prior to being mixed.

2. In an exhaust-concealer, the combination of a boiler having a spaceabove it for products of combustion said space forming a flue, anexhaust-conduit located in said flue, a muffler in said conduit, anexhaust-discharge outlet at one end of the flue, an air-mixer associatedwith said outlet, and an air-inlet for supplying air directly to saidflue and disposed relatively to the air-mixer to cause the supply of airon its way to the air-mixer to pass through the entire combustion spaceor flue over the boiler, whereby the air and steam are dried and heatedprior to being mixed.

3. In an exhaust-concealer, the combination of a boiler a heatertherefor, an engine supplied by said boiler, a flue for disposing of theproducts of combustion, an engine exhaust-conduit located in said flue,an exhaustdischarge outlet at one end of the flue, a downwardly-openingair-mixer associated with said outlet and forming an outlet for theflue, and an air-inlet for supplying air to said flue and disposedrelatively to the air-mixer to cause the supply of air on its way to theair-mixer to pass through said flue over the boiler, whereby the air andsteam are dried and heated prior to being mixed In testimony whereof Ihave affixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE A. HUNT. lVitnesses:

C. F. BRO N, F. O. ALDEN.

